A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown

Taft is the Modern Law Firm featuring Lyle Wallace

Lyle Wallace is the partner-in-charge of the Colorado and Nevada offices for Taft, which refers to itself as "The Modern Law Firm." Lyle explains exactly what that means as part of our wide-ranging conversation with him that covers his professional journey, the type of work he does, his philanthropic efforts, his outlook on the business climate and much more. 

As mergers and acquisitions counsel, Lyle guides corporations and private equity groups through acquisitions, dispositions, and mergers, both domestic and international. He has represented clients in hundreds of transactions during his career and has developed a reputation not only as a talented legal practitioner but also as a practical problem-solver. A client has referred to Lyle as “the most pragmatic and solutions-oriented attorney we have ever worked with.”

Get to know Lyle on this episode of A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

SPECIAL EPISODE: State of the State with Governor Polis – Colorado’s Next 150 Years

On January 28, 2026, Colorado Business Roundtable hosted its annual State of the State event at the Denver Art Musem. At that event, we took a look at Colorado’s progress in recent years and the priorities that will shape its long-term competitiveness. We had a forward-looking dialogue on what the future demands from both policymakers and employers. After short opening remarks, Governor Polis participated in a moderated Q&A with executives from some of Colorado’s leading employers. The members of the panel were:

David Coors - Chairman and Head of Business Relations at Molson Coors Beverage Company

Erin Waggoner - Senior Director of State and Local Government Affairs at Verizon

George Sparks - CEO of Denver Museum of Nature and Science

Debbie Brown - President of Colorado Business Roundtable

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

The 2025 Talent Pipeline Report featuring Lee Wheeler-Berliner and Ryan Gedney

The annual Colorado Talent Pipeline Report produced by the Colorado Workforce Development Council identifies areas of growing demand and opportunity, key features of the current labor force, and strategies to balance the supply and demand equation for talent. It also highlights the Top Jobs in Colorado -- jobs with high annual openings, above average growth, and a good wage. The CWDC released the 2025 Talent Pipeline Report on Dec. 16, 2025. This twelfth iteration of the Talent Pipeline Report analyzes and explains labor market information, highlights talent development strategies, and provides data-informed opportunities to enhance the talent pipeline in Colorado. 

On this episode of A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown, Debbie welcomes Talent Pipeline Senior Analyst Ryan Gedney and Managing Director Lee Wheeler-Berliner to the show to discuss the findings of this year's report. Where is there growth? Where are there opportunities? What challenges still exist? All of these questions and much more will be answered. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

Ryan Gedney is the talent pipeline analyst for the Colorado Workforce Development Council and the Colorado Department of Higher Education. In this shared-agency position, Ryan’s role is motivated by data creation and collection as an analytical tool for informed decision making. He supports the CWDC’s efforts to develop and sustain an industry-led talent development system through his empirical research and analyses centered on Colorado's workforce from both demand and supply perspectives. 

As the Managing Director of the Colorado Workforce Development Council Office, Lee manages the execution of strategies to develop and sustain an industry-led talent development system in Colorado. By forging relationships with industry and public partners at the local and state level, Lee helps to ensure the alignment of talent development efforts statewide. Lee has been with the CWDC since 2014 and brings extensive project management and leadership experience to this role. 

Up Close and Personal with Ent Credit Union CEO Chad Graves

Chad brings more than 28 years of leadership experience to his role as President & CEO of Ent Credit Union. Since he became CEO in October 2017, Ent has doubled in assets, members, employees, and locations. Ent continues to receive community, state, and national level recognition as a “best of” credit union and employer. Chad joined Ent in September 1999, as the Manager of eCommerce and was responsible for implementation of web-based online banking and progressed over the years to the Chief Information Officer role. During his tenure at Ent, he has held several leadership roles in Technology, Marketing, and Operations, prior to becoming President & CEO. Prior to Ent, Chad held technology positions at ADC Telecommunications and Nationwide Insurance.

On this episode of A Seat at the Table, Chad shares more about his professional journey, the challenges and opportunities present when incorporating new technology like online banking in the past and AI today, as well as what excites him going forward. He talks about Ent being active in the community, championing financial literacy, and what differentiates Ent from traditional banks and other credit unions.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

Rate, review and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.

For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

The Present and Future of Local Journalism featuring Mark Cornetta

Mark Cornetta is Senior Vice President of Media for TEGNA and President & General Manager of KUSA/KTVD (9News) in Denver. This portfolio includes KUSA Channel 9 as well as KTVD Channel 20 9NEWS.com and others. Launched in the 1990s and now a vital news source for Coloradoans that updates news, weather and sports 24 hours a day. 9NEWS+, a free streaming app on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, Android TV, and Apple TV, launched in 2022. From their "About Us" page on their website: "The story of 9NEWS is an evolution of people and technology. Film to videotape. Black and white to color. Analog to digital. But one thing that hasn't changed since 1952 is our commitment to bring Colorado the best programming possible."

On this episode of A Seat at the Table, Mark shares his professional journey and how he ultimately ended up at 9News. He chronicles the evolution of the business from his unique viewpoint and discusses the current challenges and opportunities facing local news, how the industry proceeds from here, what he expects from the FCC, and much, much more. Mark has worked in this industry for more than 40 years, and his insights about the current state of affairs, as well as where things head from here are valuable and incisive.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

The Importance of Good Science and Good Policy featuring George Sparks

George Sparks has been the President/CEO of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science since November 2004. He spent 24 years in the electronics measurement business at Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies. His career included marketing, sales, and general management of global businesses in software, systems, and services.

George's passion is public policy, particularly around science and education. He is a member of the Colorado Forum, Colorado Concern, and is on the Boards of Colorado Education Initiative, Colorado Business Roundtable, Colorado Music Hall of Fame, Denver Council of Foreign Relations, and Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.

George is also the founder of the Institute for Science & Policy, a program of the Museum., which strives to make science a second-nature consideration in public discourse. The Institute works across divides to help solve our most complex statewide, national, and global challenges. We are non-partisan, policy neutral, and serve as a convener and honest broker. With polarization rising, trust in institutions falling, the media seen as increasingly biased, and cultural divides creating challenges for our common humanity, the Institute is positioned to address the wicked collective action issues that define our modern world. If we are to make progress, we need a trusted space where people can learn, share, and work towards science-based solutions.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Oil and Gas in Colorado featuring Kyle Koontz of BPX Energy

Kyle Koontz is Chief Executive Officer of BPX Energy, headquartered in Denver. In September 2018, BPX Energy formally opened its 160,000-square-foot headquarters in Denver. From there, BPX manages world-class assets in the Permian and Eagle Ford basins in Texas, and Haynesville Basin in Texas and Louisiana. BPX supports more than 1,900 jobs throughout the state and has spent more than $1.5 million within local communities in support of education, the environment and Denver homeless shelters since 2019.

At the helm of BPX Energy, Kyle's focus is on steering the company through a transformative era in the energy sector. He maintains a strategic approach to asset management, fostering a culture of safety, environmental stewardship, and financial prudence. With almost two decades of experience in the industry, Kyle's expertise lies in manufacturing process improvement and new business development, ensuring BPX Energy thrives in a competitive market.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

Rate, review and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.

For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

America Succeeds featuring Tim Taylor

Tim Taylor is Co-Founder and President of America Succeeds, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to engaging business leaders in modernizing education systems to drive equity and opportunity. 

America Succeeds was founded in 2014 with a vision of building public education systems to prepare every student to succeed in the competitive global economy and contribute to their local community. For us, that means ensuring business leaders are engaged as education champions. It is our belief that businesses have the obligation, opportunity, and capacity to foster greater student achievement, build an educated workforce pipeline, and protect our future economic vitality.

Tim passionately leads with a belief in education’s power to transform life trajectories and drive economic mobility. He combines executive, nonprofit, and public policy experience in a way that’s as rare as it is effective. Before launching America Succeeds, he served as the founding president of Colorado Succeeds.

On this episode of A Seat at the Table, Tim shares the fascinating work America Succeeds does and discusses the organization's findings about what employers want from their workforce, the "durable skills" that are highest in demand, and where the future of work is likely to take us. His knowledge and passion shine brilliantly as he shares his many learnings with our audience. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Space Workforce for Tomorrow featuring Mel Stricklan

Mel Stricklan is Executive Director of Space Workforce for Tomorrow, the premier initiative dedicated to closing the space industry’s growing STEM talent gap while driving the development of a highly skilled, and mission-ready workforce. Powered by leading industry, government, and academic partners, SWFT is structured to INSPIRE, PREPARE, and EMPLOY the next generation of space professionals.

On this episode of A Seat at the Table, Mel shares her professional journey that saw her fall in love with astronauts, space, and science from a very young age and then navigate her way through an impressive array of stops before landing at Space Workforce for Tomorrow. She shares the challenges currently facing the industry, discusses how she works to address them, and what the future of talent looks like in this exciting, dynamic and cutting edge field.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown. 

Rate, review and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.

For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Love Your Neighbor featuring Jason Janz of CrossPurpose

Jason Janz co-founded CrossPurpose with Juan Pena in 2008, influenced greatly by spending his childhood and adolescence in poverty. With the goal of abolishing relational, economic, and spiritual poverty through career and community development, Jason’s passion for social entrepreneurship and serving the poor is satisfied through his role as CEO where he builds the team, sets the organizational culture, and raises funds.

On this episode of A Seat at the Table, Jason joins Debbie Brown and discusses how CrossPurpose differs from other similar organizations and focuses not only on the axiom of "teaching a man to fish" but by giving him the right fishing pole and understanding how best to utilize skills with the ultimate goal of building generational wealth. It's a fascinating chat with an organizational leader who is truly inspiring and approaches societal issues with creativity, humanity and dedication. 

Rate, review and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.

For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.